Invisible Target
by lawslave
Summary: A continuation of 4x3, "To Protect and Serve." Jamie soon finds out that his lieutenant's ego trip goes well beyond one suspension.
1. Chapter 1

This is a continuation of 4x3, "To Protect and Serve," because I just found it hard to believe the ego trip stopped at the one suspension.

Chapter 1

Officer Jamie Reagan walked through the front entrance of the 12th Precinct, eager and ready to get back to work. It was his first day back after a seven day suspension 'for disobeying a direct order from a superior officer at the scene of an accident.'

He understood why he'd been suspended, even though part of him suspected that the superior officer who'd brought the charges of insubordination against him had more of an issue with his last name than his actions. He had no regrets about doing what he did and he'd do it all over again if he had to. It mattered more to him that the boy he'd pulled from the crash knew he could trust a police officer's word. Any number of officers on scene could have written the accident report, including his partner and his lieutenant was being unreasonable in insisting he do it. Although he would admit that the unpaid suspension hurt his wallet and he missed being on patrol, overall he really had no regrets.

"Reagan!"

Jamie stopped upon hearing his name hollered from the other end of the hall, closing his eyes briefly as he recognized the voice - Lieutenant Bradley Nash. He turned around and found the lieutenant standing in the middle of the busy hallway. "Yes, Lieutenant?"

"My office. Now." Nash didn't wait for a response before stomping off in the direction from which he came.

"Great," Jamie grumbled under his breath and followed quickly. He walked into Nash's office and stood ramrod straight, his hands clasped together in front of him holding the duffle bag he'd brought with him.

Nash walked back around his desk and closed the door to his office. Jamie remained still as his lieutenant then stepped towards him. He stopped just to his right and crossed his arms across his chest. "I expect that you used your suspension to consider your actions, Reagan."

"Yes, sir."

"I told you that I don't care what your nameplate says or who your father is. You are under my command at this precinct and you will follow orders, do you understand?"

Jamie's face remained expressionless, the only sign of how he was really feeling was the slight clench of his jaw. Nash wanted to show him who was boss and most likely wanted to get a rise out of him, but he didn't want to give him the pleasure. It wasn't worth it.

"I took a look at your jacket. You have a habit of going off the reservation, playing detective and doing what you want, but you always come out smelling like a rose. Wonder why that is?" Nash's voice became more hostile as he continued speaking. "I told you before. And I'll tell you again, you screw up and I'll have your badge one way or the other. Your daddy won't break the chain of command to save your ass. He does and he risks making it look like he's playing favorites. That's not happening. Is that clear?"

"Crystal, sir." Jaime remained stoic.

The lieutenant glared at him for a few seconds before saying, "We're done here." And with that, he turned back towards his desk and proceeded to read a file as if Jamie wasn't even there.

Sergeant Tony Renzulli was speaking to another officer when he saw his old rookie in Nash's office. To most, it looked like a lieutenant having a discussion with his patrolman, but Renzulli sensed it was more than that. Nash had a reputation for getting in people's faces, more so with those under him as he'd gone up the ranks. His targets usually had too much pride to report the verbal abuse because anyone who did would appear weak by most in the department.

But knowing it was Nash that had suspended Reagan, he knew better. Had Reagan disobeyed orders? Yes, he had. But Renzulli knew that any other other commanding officer at the scene never would have given the order that Jamie had disobeyed, given the circumstances. Before turning back to his co-worker, Renzulli promised to keep an eye on his old rookie and the new lieutenant.

Dismissed, Jamie turned and left the office, marching quickly to the locker room as his jaw remained clenched and he kept a death grip on the handle of his bag.

"Hey, look who finally decided to grace us with his presence!"

Jamie saw his partner at the end of the hall, all dressed and ready for their first tour since his suspension. This hallway encounter would be a more welcoming one than the last.

"Hey, Janko," he greeted with a small smile before stopping at the locker room door.

"Geez, Reagan, don't seem so thrilled to be back. What, you were getting used to being a man of leisure?" Eddie joked, but she could tell there was something up.

"Naw, it's not that." He wasn't up to sharing the lecture he'd just gotten from Nash. It was no big deal and he certainly didn't want to make it into one. He'd had other guys show him a little unwanted attention because of who his dad was. Wasn't the first time and this would not be the last. At least not while his father was still PC.

"So then, what's got your boxers in a bunch?"

"Nothing. Got to run or you'll make me late, Janko." He proceeded into the locker room, leaving his bewildered partner in the hall.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Incoming."

"What?" Jamie asked, not bothering to look up from the report he'd been writing on the armed robbery collar they'd caught. A few other officers had responded as well, but Jamie and Eddie were first on the scene. The suspect was high - and dumb - which had made it easy for them to overtake him and he now sat in the back of their squad car.

The medics that had responded were getting ready to head back to their station. They'd treated a woman who'd fallen during the commotion of the robbery. Luckily she'd required nothing more than bandages for some cuts on her hands and knees.

"Nash. Your nine o'clock," Eddie advised as she looked down and continued scribbling in her memo book.

Jamie looked discreetly to his left, barely taking a break from his report. "Jesus. Again?" he whispered.

"Reagan! Janko! Sit rep!"

Jamie looked up at his boss as he neared and proceeded to give his report in a curt, but professional, manner - one that he'd practiced often lately with Lieutenant Nash. "Armed robbery. One under, boss. One witness received minor injuries. Treated by medics and released. No other injuries. Gun recovered from suspect. No shots fired. Finishing up the report and then we'll transport to the precinct for processing."

Eddie stiffened beside him, observing the vein that pulsated on Nash's forehead every time they had an encounter with him.

"That report better be perfect, Reagan. I gotta kick back another one for your sloppiness, expect a reprimand."

"Yes, sir." Curt and professional.

Nash eyeballed him for a moment and turned on his heal to head back to his vehicle.

Jamie stared at his retreating back when he suddenly felt Eddie grab his uniform shirt to turn him slightly. "Yeah, still there."

"What?"

"Target. Still there." Eddie looked between Nash and her partner. "He has got it out for you. You weren't kidding about the name putting a target on your back."

Jamie put his pen down on the hood of the car next to his paperwork with a little more force than necessary. "God, what is that, like a dozen times he's been out to one of our scenes in the last two weeks?"

"I lost count. Weird thing is that he shows up for the really minor calls too. And what is his deal with your reports?"

"I think I forgot a comma in the last one," he half kidded as he rolled his eyes and ran his hand through his hair.

Eddie raised her eyebrows at his response. "Surprised he hasn't called me on my reports. Yours read like supreme court opinions compared to mine."

Jamie leaned against the squad car, crossing his arms in front of him. "He's driving me crazy."

"Well, this is bordering on harassment, Reagan. It's not right."

"What am I supposed to do? He already got me suspended for insubordination. I complain about him, just looks like I'm trying to get back at him. And anyways, who the hell am I supposed to complain to?"

"Your dad, for starters."

"That would be a break in the chain of command. And I told you, I can't go to my father to bail me out of a jam and he certainly wouldn't anyways. And how does it look if I run to my dad every time something happens?" Jaime shook his head. "I certainly wouldn't bring it to him cause then it puts him in some weird position of wanting to help but not being able to." He turned back to his report, picking up his pen to finish it up. "Nah, it's no big deal. He'll find a bigger fish and leave me alone eventually."

Eddie leaned back against the car next to her partner. "Then I guess, for your sake, we hope eventually comes real soon."

/

"Uhg, still can't believe we got the weekend off." Eddie walked down the hallway of the precinct next to her partner. Both had changed out of their uniforms and were heading out to grab a drink.

"Yeah. What are you gonna do?"

"Actually, I going dress shopping with some of my girlfriends. My friend, Carrie's getting married in the fall."

"Really? Oh, please tell me you're a bridesmaid."

"Maybe." She gave him a suspicious look. "Why?"

"Cause I would pay good money to see you in cookie cutter dresses with ten other girls. And, hello, you in a dress?" Jamie gave Eddie a look of amusement. "Do you get a plus one?"

Eddie smacked him across the arm and said, "Hey! I am a girl, you know! I have dresses. I dress up from time to time."

Jamie laughed, knowing how animated she got when he'd tease her about these things.

"So what are your big plans, hot shot?"

Jamie pushed the front door open and waited as a few incoming officers passed through. "Nothing much. Meeting some old friends tomorrow and the regular Sunday dinner at my dad's."

THe exit was now clear and they passed through, not noticing who was walking out behind them, listening to their conversation.

"You guys never miss a Sunday, do you?"

"Nope. Attendance is mandatory unless duty calls. But it really is the only time the family has a chance to get together. It's important to my dad and grandpa."

"So sweet. Like a Norman Rockwell painting, I'm sure."

"Oh, yeah, we're real Norman Rockwell, especially when Danny and Erin start getting into it..."

They continued their conversation as they walked down the block, their eavesdropper having now gone his own separate way.


	3. Chapter 3

Many, many thanks to CookiesN'Cream124 for the advice and wonderful feedback on this story!

This chapter's a short one.

Chapter 3

"Do you realize most of our tours in the last two weeks have been midnights?" Eddie asked as she stared out the window, her head supported by her hand as she leaned against the car door.

"Yup."

"Well except for the last few Sundays. Got day tours on the last two."

"Yeah."

Eddie turned to look at her partner. He hadn't been himself lately and she could pretty much figure out why. Nash was still on him for just about any little reason he could find. It started with regular appearances at their scenes - well that was until they started the night tours on an almost regular basis.

Then Nash started making regular complaints about the 'inadequacies' in Reagan's reports, complaints that were made in the middle of the squad room for all to hear. They were petty at first, stupid actually - missing punctuation and minor typos that had no effect on the integrity of the reports, to which Jamie responded by making sure every comma and every word was triple checked. Everyone knew Nash was just full of crap - Reagan was the only Harvard Law graduate in the entire department. Most would go to him to write up their reports if they could.

The alleged 'sloppiness' then went from spelling errors to missing or incorrect information on the reports - witness names, dates and wrong charges. If Janko wrote them up, no flags were ever raised, not that there should have been any to begin with.

So Nash didn't waste time in formally reprimanding him for that. Since Nash had started riding him, he'd been meticulous about his reports. He'd been more careful as he'd prepped them and more so when he'd enter them into the system. But Jamie could not explain the most recent problems when questioned. Nash's claims were absurd and Jamie suspected he or someone had altered his reports, but he had no proof. So he'd just stood there, taken the tongue lashing he was given and said nothing to defend himself. Wouldn't help anyway. And maybe that was what was egging Nash on. He'd gotten in his face, literally, and Jamie felt as if he'd wanted to get him to react. A reaction that would most certainly give him another reason to suspend him again.

"So I guess you've missed Sunday dinners, huh?"

"Yup. And I'm betting I'll be missing it again this coming Sunday," Jamie responded as he turned his attention from the road to his partner for a brief moment.

"Ugh. This is getting ridiculous, Reagan."

"I know," he nodded. His own feelings aside about being the focus of his lieutenant's wrath, he really felt bad that Eddie was being punished by association. But she had been nothing but supportive and a sounding board for when his frustrations got the best of him.

"You've got to talk to someone, Jamie."

"I told you already, I'm not discussing this with my dad."

"I know you did. And I understand. But maybe you can talk to your brother, ask him for advice?"

"And what am I supposed to say, huh? 'Hey, big brother, my boss is riding my ass, giving me crap tours, constantly showing up at my scenes and telling me my reports are sloppy.' It feels personal to you and me but it sounds a whole lot like me whining to those on the outside. Danny was a marine, Eddie. He'll tell me I'm lucky that's all he's doing and tell me to grow a pair."

"I know. You're right. But like you said, this does feel personal." Eddie looked forward and shook her head. "Hey, maybe we can talk to Renzulli. He's been around when Nash has gone off on you. Anyone who's seen him knows he's taking it too far during his crazy rants ."

"Listen, I'm sorry you're getting punished because of me. It sucks you're stuck in the middle of this, but I'd rather not put anyone else in the middle either. Nash is also Renzulli's superior. And even though I know he'd give me the benefit of the doubt, I'm not gonna put him in that position."

"That's noble and everything, Reagan, but he's not letting up. Nash is your typical Neanderthal meathead on a power trip. I'm telling you, when he zones in on you, he looks like he's just waiting for you to step out of line so he can knock you down for good. Everyone's talking about it."

Jamie was about to respond, but was interrupted by dispatch and a domestic disturbance call.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was past six on Sunday evening by the time he'd finally made it to his dad's house. They'd collared a pervert about fifteen minutes before EOT for using a cell phone camera to shoot photos up women's skirts. Caught him right in the act and found quite the gallery on his cell phone. Booking him ran them about an hour past EOT, ensuring that he'd missed dessert with the family too.

Jamie stepped through the kitchen door, spotting his dad at the kitchen table. "Hey, dad."

Frank looked up from his paperwork, pleased to finally see his youngest. They'd missed him at dinner these last few weeks. "Hey, yourself. Long tour?"

Jamie walked over to the kitchen sink to wash his hands. "Yeah, caught a collar just before EOT." Jamie turned back to peer through the kitchen door and into the living room. "Everyone gone already?"

"Yeah. Danny and Linda took the boys a little while ago and Erin and Nicky left right after dessert. Nicky has some big report to finish."

"Where's grandpa?"

"He went up early. He's been fighting off a cold." Frank removed his reading glasses and observed his son before saying, "There's a plate for you in the microwave."

"Thanks." Jamie dried his hands with a towel and placed it on the counter before walking over to the microwave and setting it for two minutes. With his back to his father, he stood as if mesmerized by the plate of food as it spun on the turntable.

His youngest had always been the quietest of the four Reagan children. But he'd been uncharacteristically quiet and distracted the last few times he'd seen him. It was obvious that something was weighing heavily on his mind. "What's going on, Jamie?"

Jamie turned to his father. He shook his head in confusion as he answered. "What? Nothing. Nothing's wrong." He then quickly turned back to the microwave as it beeped, grabbed his dinner plate and some utensils from a drawer and walked over to the kitchen table.

Frank waited as Jamie then made his way to the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water before sitting across from him. "Come on, son."

Jamie breathed out a sigh as he placed a napkin across his lap and picked up his knife and fork. He looked at his father and quickly shifted his focus to cutting the food on his plate. If he looked into his father's eyes for too long, he was likely to let the floodgates open and he promised himself he wouldn't do that. "Nothing's wrong. Just been busy. Working a lot of lately."

"I know. And three straight Sundays."

Jamie shoveled some pot roast into his mouth. At least it gave him a momentary out on having to comment on that little observation.

Frank shared a thought that had been on his mind since he'd noticed that something had been off with Jamie. "You've been a little distracted lately." Frank waited until he had Jamie's full attention. "Last time you were like this, you were looking into the Blue Templar and Joe's death on your own."

The younger man swallowed and put his fork down. He then looked his father in the eyes. "It's nothing like that, dad."

"Then it's something."

Jamie looked to the left, trying to get his thoughts together. Turning back to his father, he began to explain, "There's stuff going on at work. But you've always been clear that when it comes to the job, your my commissioner first - no breaks in chain of command and all that. It's better if I deal with this on my own." Jamie hoped he would understand.

And Frank did. Jamie was right. He had always told his boys that even though they would always have his support, when it came to the job, he was their commissioner first, he wouldn't show them favoritism or pull them out of a jam they'd gotten themselves into. But it made him fear that they would hesitate to come to him if they were ever in trouble, like Jamie seemed to be doing now. Like he had done with the Templar. And like Joe had done before he had died.

"I understand. But I'm also your father and if you need help or advice, I'm here for you, son."

Jamie picked up his fork and picked at his dinner. "I know."

"If you're having some sort of trouble..."

"What have you heard?" Jamie wasn't oblivious to the fact that talk had probably gotten back to his father.

"Well, heard there's been some trouble with your reports lately."

Jamie's jaw clenched at the mention of the reports.

"And some issues with your squad car."

Jamie shook his head and did a half roll of his eyes. That had been the most recent gem he'd been dealing with. After the last two tours, the patrolmen that were assigned to their squad car after he and Janko had turned it in had reported that it been had been filled with trash and debris that they had to clean out themselves. It wasn't even that the patrol officers made formal complaints, but because the car had to be cleaned, they also had to check it from top to bottom to make sure nothing remained that could be used as a weapon by anyone thrown in the backseat - a task that's completed by the pair returning the car. That caused the officers to start their tours a little late which they had to report to command and the issue logged for administrative purposes.

Of course, Nash had gotten wind of it and bam, reprimand number two in the almost two months since his suspension. As Nash had so eloquently explained, he was the senior officer of the pair and was ultimately responsible, so only Jamie was reprimanded. Janko had been spared any blame, something he had been grateful for. Eddie had exploded when she'd heard and the other officers had apologized for the trouble, swearing that they had never intended for him to get into a jam, but Jamie knew better and told them there were no hard feelings.

"I can handle it, dad."

"Seems like you've had some problems after your suspension."

Jamie wasn't sure what he meant by that last statement. His father was difficult to read sometimes, apparently the opposite of his kids - they were like an open book to him. He wasn't sure if he was aware of the animosity from Nash or whether he thought he'd been off his game just because of the suspension.

They'd had a four minute conversation about the suspension after it happened. When he'd asked Jamie if they were square, he knew his father wanted to make sure he understood why he hadn't stepped in to get him out of the suspension. And he did understand. But a part of him still sought his approval for what he did.

"Just some things I have to deal with on my own." And with that, Jamie picked up his fork and continued eating his Sunday dinner.

Frank looked at his son, hoping he could get more out of him but he knew he would not be successful, at least not tonight. Might be time for him to call Sam in to do a little digging of his own.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"All right, Lana. What is this, like the fourth time I've collared you in the last six months?" Jamie asked as he escorted his frequent passenger to the backseat of the squad car.

"We've got to stop meeting this way, Officer Reagan," she joked.

"I agree, but you don't seem to get it." Lana Reynolds was twenty-five and had multiple arrests for prostitution, disorderly conduct and trespassing. She was a regular at the precinct, but never gave them any trouble during arrests.

"Girl's got to work. Besides, I'd probably never get to see you if it weren't for these little encounters." They'd just busted her for prostitution again.

"Yeah, probably not." Jamie smiled as he approached the squad car and leaned over to open the door.

Lana turned and shot Jaime a smile over her shoulder. "Oh, well. If it makes you feel any better, I'm glad it's you and your partner that are dragging me in this time. You two are less judgey than most other cops. Polite, too."

"What can I say? Our moms taught us some manners." Jamie jerked his head to the open door to prompt her along while letting go of her arm to place his hand atop her head as she entered the car.

"Yeah, you got…ahh!" Lana was stepping off the curb, but the darkness hid the metal grate on the street below. The left heel of her six inch stiletto went through an opening and she lost her balance, falling sideways into the side of the car and then down onto the pavement. Her hands had been cuffed behind her back and were useless during her tumble, her left wrist taking the brunt of her weight when she landed on the ground.

Jamie was unable to catch her before she fell, his hand just brushing against her coat as she went down. "Oh, hey! Lana, you okay?!" Jamie kneeled down and helped her to a sitting position.

"Oh man…I think so. Ahh. Think I whacked my head on the car." The young woman winced, her eyes closed tightly as her head throbbed.

"Here, let me take a look." Jaime pulled out his flashlight and aimed it over her shoulder to avoid blinding her. He swept her brown locks back with his fingertips to take a look at the left side of her head. "Yeah, you got a bump and a scrape on the side of your head, but it's not bleeding. You hurt anywhere else?" He looked her up an down as he waited for her response.

"My wrist hurts a little, but naw, I'm okay. I've been knocked around worse than this. Hey, help a lady up, Reagan," she smiled back. She was a little embarrassed and could see that the officer felt badly that she had fallen while in his custody.

"Hey, what happened?" Eddie came up behind them when she saw them hunched down behind the open car door. She had been handing off the John they'd found Lana with to another set of officers for transport to the precinct.

Jamie moved behind Lana to help her off the ground. "Lana took a tumble as I was getting her in the car."

"Hazard of the trade," Lana joked. She jutted her chin down towards the ground. "My shoe got stuck in the grate."

Jamie pointed his flashlight down and found the leopard print stiletto where it had gotten jammed. As Eddie bent over to retrieve it, Jamie looked back at the younger woman. "You sure you're okay? Do you need me to call a bus?"

"No, honey, I'm fine, really. But maybe you could loosen up the cuff on my left hand?" She wiggled her fingers and wrist to make sure there was nothing broken. "I think it's a little bruised too."

Jamie could see where the cuff and the ground had rubbed her skin a little raw and loosened the cuffs for her. "There you go. How does that feel?"

"Better." Lana looked at Eddie and said, "See? A real gentleman."

"Yeah, a real white knight," Eddie added. "Come on Lana, get in and then I'll have prince charming over here put the glass slipper back onto your foot." Eddie smirked at her partner while thrusting the shoe into his hands so she could help Lana into the car.

"Who knew we'd be doing our own version of Cinderella tonight?" Eddie leaned in to buckle their collar in and then stepped away to make room for her partner.

Jaime rolled his eyes as he leaned over to get the shoe back on Lana's foot. "Whatever it takes to keep you entertained, Janko. Come on, let's get this show on the road." He closed the door and made his way to the driver's side of the car, his partner chuckling at his expense the whole time.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It was end of tour and Jamie was glad that for the first time in a long time they didn't have anything pop up at the last minute to keep them on the clock. Except for collaring Lana Jensen, the night had been uneventful.

Jamie was hunched over in his locker looking for the clean t-shirt he'd packed into his duffle bag when he felt someone grab his bicep and haul him backwards. It was so unexpected, he fell into lockers behind him with a loud crash. By the time he got his feet under him and went to stand at full height, he found himself face to face with Lieutenant Nash.

"Sir?" Jamie's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Can't fight your own battles, huh, Reagan?" Nash growled and shoved him back into the lockers.

"Lieutenant, I - ," Jamie tried to ask him what he was referring to, but didn't have a chance to finish. As he moved to get some distance between himself and the older man, Nash blocked his path and shoved him back farther into the small alcove created by the two rows of lockers.

"You have a problem with authority?"

"No, sir, I – " Another push further back.

"Anyone tries to put you in your place and you run to daddy, is that it?"

Jamie was furious, his hands balled at his sides. If there was one thing he never did it was have his father fight his battles. "I don't know what you're talking about, Lieutenant."

Another shove had him trapped between the wall and his superior.

"It's about the PC's office sniffing around here, asking for personnel files and performance evaluations, complaint logs. Funny, mine and yours were among the ones they took," he growled lowly.

"Sir, I - ," the young officer was prevented again from answering, but this time by Nash's meaty forearm. He'd slammed it into Jamie's chest, pinning him against the cinderblock wall behind him. "Lieutenant," he'd croaked as his hands grasped the arm pressing on his chest.

Nash was in his face now. "I don't know what your endgame is Reagan - payback for the suspension, maybe, hmm? But despite your name, you're just a lowly patrolman around here and I'm not letting you screw things up for me. I give the orders, you shut your mouth and do as your told." Nash's face was a bright shade of red and his words low and menacing.

Jamie'd had enough. "Let go of me!" And with everything he had, he shoved Nash right back. The senior officer stumbled back several feet, only to rush at Jamie with a raised fist ready to strike him, but he was stopped by an unexpected visitor.

"Hey, Reagan! You in here?" Renzulli was standing in the doorway on the other side of the lockers.

By the time Renzulli walked further into the room and went around the first row, the two men stood a short distance apart, staring at each other and breathing heavily, both silent.

"Oh, hey, Lieutenant. Didn't realize you were in here." Renzulli looked at each man and asked, "Sorry, but am I interrupting something? I could come back," He said as he pointed to the door.

Nash spoke first. His eyes trained on Jamie as he said, "No, I'm done here. He's all yours." With that, he turned and stormed out of the room.

Jamie stood frozen in place, his chest heaving as he staring at the spot Nash had vacated.

"Hey, you all right, kid?" Renzulli sensed that something major had gone down or was about to go down had he not shown up.

Jamie blinked hard and acknowledged his old TO. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." He walked back to his locker and grabbed the first shirt he could get his hands on, not paying attention to whether it was clean or not. He quickly threw it on, avoiding the questioning look Renzulli was sending his way.

Renzulli had seen Nash make a beeline for the locker room shortly after he'd arrived. Based on his demeanor, he had no doubt he'd heard the scuttlebutt on the PC's inquiries into precinct. And there was less doubt about whom he'd blame for 1PP probing into precinct business.

Nash had a reputation for being a hot head and a bully. He had a habit of zeroing in on one individual and tormenting them until he got bored and moved on to someone else. It started when he got his first boot as a TO. And progressed as he moved up in the ranks. Renzulli had never witnessed anything that would warrant getting involved, until recent incidents with Reagan.

Nash's increasingly harsh leadership style made most under him cringe anytime they had to work with him. These were trained police officers under his command and leading them didn't mean you could treat them like garbage in front of their colleagues. It wasn't the way Renzulli treated his officers; it just wasn't his style. But his hands felt tied unless his officer came to him or he saw something that warranted making a formal complaint. And maybe that was his mistake - waiting for either of those to happen - because no officer with an ounce of pride and dignity would make a complaint of their own against Nash and his behavior. So he decided he'd make sure his old boot knew he had his back and followed Nash into the locker room when he saw him heading in that direction.

"Come on, Reagan."

"What do you want from me, Sarge?" Jamie sighed, exhaustion evident in his voice.

"I want to know what's going on. And I want the truth. What was going on in here with you and Nash?"

"Maybe you should ask him." Jamie rummaged in his locker and pulled his bag out wanting nothing more than to go home and have a drink despite the fact that it wasn't even nine am.

"Yeah, well, we all know how far that'll get me. And I'm asking you."

"You want the truth, Sarge?" Jamie stopped and looked his sergeant in the eyes. "Truth is I don't know. I don't know why he's been putting everything I do under a microscope." Jamie threw the rest of his things into the duffle bag and holstered his off duty weapon. "Or maybe I do, but there's nothing I can do about my name or family ties."

"Listen, I know he's been after you lately. But if he's done anything that crosses the line, then -"

"Then what, Sarge? I should file a complaint? Come on. You know how it works around here. I do that, he'll come down on me twice as hard. And for what? So he can fire back that it's my lame attempt to get back at him for my suspension?" Jamie pulled his jacket on and picked up his bag.

"I already get enough crap for being the PC's son. Do you see any other patrol officers getting quarter page articles in The Post every time something happens at work?"

"Jamie..."

"Its fine, Sarge. Just leave it." Jamie slammed his locker closed and walked out of the room.

Renzulli wouldn't leave it. He just had to think about how to approach this problem without anything concrete.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"This is absurd, Sarge! I didn't do either of those things to Lana during that arrest. She fell when she was getting into the squad car. I included the incident in my report."

"I hear you, Reagan. But it's out of our hands. Lana Jensen claims that you knocked her down during the arrest. She said you propositioned her and she turned you down. That you got forceful with her because of it and has a bruised face and wrist because of it."

"That's bull!" Jamie shot out of the guest chair in front of Renzulli's desk and began pacing the small room.

Renzulli was at a loss on what to say to make this better because there was nothing that would. So he did the only thing that he could at that moment and allowed his officer to vent.

Jamie turned around and looked at his sergeant pleadingly. "Sarge, you know me. You know I wouldn't do that."

"I know that. I do. But I can't do anything about it." Renzulli shook his head and regarded Jamie sympathetically. "IAB is stepping in to investigate her claim. I'm sorry, Jamie, but until the investigation's over, I'll need your badge and your service weapon. You're on administrative leave until then." He really hated his job sometimes.

Jamie felt like he'd been punched in the gut. This was like the problems he'd had with his reports and the squad car - all without merit and used by one person to make his life hell. Jamie pressed the heels of his hands into eyes to try and relieve the pressure that had begun to build in his head. "He did this. He did this and I'm gonna prove it," Jamie whispered to himself, but still loud enough for his sergeant to hear.

"Who, Jamie? Who did this?" Renzulli already had a sneaking suspicion who Jamie was referring to, but he needed the kid to come clean with him if he wanted his help.

Jamie dropped his hands to his sides and stared at his sergeant. He couldn't share his suspicions without something to back them but he knew of a way to clear his name. "If I could just talk to Lana, I could clear all of this up."

"No!" Renzulli jumped from his chair, walked towards Jamie and jabbed his finger into his chest to stress his point. "No. You do not talk to or go near Lana Jensen. You hear me, Reagan? You do that and you help whoever's digging your grave bury you completely."

This wasn't happening. One moment he's on patrol with his partner and the next he's getting a 10-2 back to the precinct to get this news from his old TO.

Renzulli breathed deeply. "I know you. And I know you didn't do this. But let IAB get to the bottom of this, huh? Don't jam yourself up more than you already are."

Jamie removed his weapon from his belt and his badge from his uniform and placed both items on the desk before him. He avoided eye contact with the older man and asked coldly, "Am I dismissed?"

Tony stared at Jamie for a moment and let out a long sigh. "Yeah. You're dismissed."

Eddie was waiting for him when he came out of Renzulli's office. "Hey. We ready to go back out?" Her eyes narrowed as Jamie stormed past her, completely ignoring her. "What's wrong?" She moved quickly to keep up with his fast pace, glancing back towards Renzulli's office. "You okay, partner?"

Jamie shook his head but did not look at her. He was so angry, he thought he might explode if he got into it with her here. "I gotta get out of here." He needed to leave before he ran into Nash and punched him in the face like he'd felt like doing a few days ago. He made his way out of the precinct, still dressed in his uniform, leaving his bewildered partner behind.

«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»

A few hours later, Janko found him at their favorite cop bar nursing a beer. He looked awful, like he'd just lost his best friend. And she didn't blame him one bit.

She slipped onto the stool next to him. "Hey, Jamie." She signaled the bartender to bring her one of what he was having and looked back at him. "IAB talked to me today. Filled me in on what's going on."

"I'm sure you're not supposed to talk about it. Least of all to me." He took a swig from his bottle and began to pick at the label.

"So they told me this crazy story that you, Jamison Reagan, Boy Scout extraordinaire, propositioned and assaulted a prostitute we collared." She nodded at the bartender when he brought her drink and took a sip. "Crazy, right?"

Jamie didn't respond.

"Then they wanted to know if I could confirm or deny the incident, but I wasn't much help because I wasn't there when she fell. Only after when she told me herself that her shoe had gotten stuck and that she'd fallen, you know, with no urgency or distress about her. And that I then removed said shoe from the sewer grate it was wedged into."

She waited for a response, but got none. Her sullen partner continued to methodically remove the label from his beer, so she continued. "Then they asked if I'd ever suspected or witnessed you being involved in any kind of illicit activity. I asked them if they had ever met you." He still hadn't looked at her so she took a drink from her bottle. "Boy, they questioned me like I was just looking to cover your ass. Is IAB always so distrustful?"

"I wouldn't know. The last IAB guy I dealt with actually had a hand in covering up my brother's murder and helped the guy who pulled the trigger rig my car to kill me." Jamie's tone was flat and distracted.

Eddie's eyes widened at his statement, but knew that was a painful story for another day. "Jamie, he's gone too far. This is your life we're talking about."

He finally looked at her. "I know that, Eddie."

"You've got to talk to your father. This is no longer about having our dad get you out of a jam. This is about this scumbag harassing you for no reason other than your last name and somehow having a woman make a false claim that could get you kicked out of the department and possibly charged with assault and solicitation."

"I know that too."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I'm gonna start by talking to Lana."

"Jamie..."

"I need to know what he did to make her do this. To see if she'll tell the truth." Jamie got off his stool and pulled a few bills out of his pocket which he dropped on the bar top and headed for the door.

"Jeez, I barely drank the neck off my beer," she mumbled and reached out to grab the sleeve of his jacket. "I'm coming with you."

"No, Eddie. That'll only jam you up," he replied with a serious expression on his face.

"You're worried about me getting jammed up?" She smirked before saying, "You really are a Boy Scout. Not letting you go alone, Reagan. You need back up, or at least a witness in case Lana tries making more accusations."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Lana!"

Lana Reynolds had been walking up and down her usual stomping grounds and turned at the sound of her name thinking it was one of her regulars. She was startled when she saw who was coming towards her. "Officer Reagan?" She spun back around and walked away. "I'm not supposed to talk to you," she yelled back.

Jamie jogged up next to her, Eddie following close behind. "Lana, please. I need to know what's going on. Why are you doing this?"

She kept walking, crossing her arms across her chest to hug herself tightly. "I'm not doing anything other than what I'm supposed to. And you need to leave me alone."

"What do you mean by 'what you're supposed to?'" Jamie reached for her arm to stop her and Lana reacted as if burned by his touch.

"Don't touch me!" She stopped, but refused to look him in the face. She was beginning to shake, almost in fear. "You're all the same," she hissed.

"Reagan," Eddie said as she stepped between them and gestured for him to give them a little room. She turned to Lana to calm the trembling woman. "Hey, Lana. Listen, whatever's going on, we can help you. What do you mean by 'you're all the same'?"

The younger woman reached up to angrily swipe away a stray tear that had begun to roll down her face.

Eddie tilted her head down a bit to look her in the eye. "Lana, I know my partner. What you're saying happened the other night when we collared you, I know didn't happen. And I know you wouldn't be saying it if you weren't scared of something. Or maybe someone?"

Lana shook her head. She looked from Eddie to Jamie, his eyes begging her to tell the truth. But she couldn't. "I'm sorry, okay. But I need to do what's best for me." She held his gaze and whispered again, "I'm sorry." Then she walked away.

"Lana," Jamie said as he started to follow her again.

Eddie grabbed his arm. "Reagan, let her go."

Jamie turned back to face her, his brow furrowed as a plethora of emotions passed through him - hurt, anger, confusion, fear. "How do I let her go, huh? She's lying. You know who put her up to this and she's the only one that can clear my name."

"I know, Jamie. I know. But she was trembling like a leaf. She's really spooked and we can't corner her like that. It'll only make things worse."

Jamie locked his fingers together on top of his head and began pacing, his mind reeling at everything that was happening. "I have to find out how he got to her."

"Well, we certainly can't go up to Nash and ask him."

"Yeah, no. You should have heard him in the locker room the other day after we finished processing Lana. That's what set him off this time."

"Wait a minute. Did something happen?"

Jamie stopped pacing and leaned against a nearby lamp post, finally telling her about the incident in the locker room. "He cornered me in the locker room after shift. Got on me because the commissioner's office has been sniffing around the precinct, pulling files and evals, from patrolmen to high ranking officers and apparently Nash's file was one of them. So was mine."

"Did he get physical with you?" Eddie stood in front of him and waited for an answer.

"There was some shoving involved. I shoved back. Didn't go any farther than that because Renzulli came in." Jamie stared at the ground. "He was ready to deck me but Renzulli interrupted him."

"Jamie." Her eyes narrowed and she grabbed his arm to get his attention. "Enough is enough. I know you don't want to break the chain of command, but you should talk to your dad or your brother, even. They'd want to know."

"Yeah, I just don't know how."

"Just talk to him, to Danny, to Renzulli. Whoever. If you don't, I will. Because whatever he did to Lana, what he's doing to you...it's criminal."

Jamie's phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket and closed his eyes when he saw his father's number on the caller ID. He had several missed calls from his him and a few from Danny as well, but he hadn't wanted to get into it with them. Jamie looked at Eddie as the phone continued to ring.

"Speak of the devil," she whispered. "Answer it before I do."

Jamie thumbed the answer button and lifted the phone to his ear as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Hey, dad."

What Jamie and Eddie didn't notice was the figure that sat hunched in a car a short distance away. His blood boiled when he saw them talking to Lana Jensen. He'd had enough of the kid and decided a more direct attack was necessary to get rid of this thorn in his side.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Jamie was seated on the couch in his father's living room with two fingers of scotch sitting untouched before him. Frank sat across from him nursing his own glass as he waited for his son to start talking. Once he'd finally accepted his call, he'd asked him to come over to the house. He didn't want to discuss the situation over the phone, not only because of the seriousness of the matter, but because he also wanted to see for himself that Jamie was okay.

"I'll sit here all night if that's what you need from me, but I'd much rather talk." Frank's voice was gentle and patient as he swished the amber liquid around in his glass.

Jamie reached for his own and took a quick sip before responding. "You're my boss. You don't discuss IAB." His mouth snapped shut and bowed his head. He shouldn't have said that, but he was tired of this whole mess. It was always easiest to take it out on those closest to you.

Frank frowned at the coldness in his tone. "Jamie -"

Jamie finally met his father's eyes. "I didn't do what she said I did. She fell when I collared her. End of story."

"I know. I read the report."

"Then what else do you want me say?" Jamie closed his eyes, wondering how much worse this day would get.

"You can start by explaining why you didn't come to me about Nash."

Jamie's head snapped up. "What?"

"I know about Nash and the harassment."

Jamie just sat there.

When no response came, Frank continued, "We've been investigating Nash for a while now and we believe that this claim against you, by the prostitute, is his doing."

"Could of told you that," Jamie mumbled as he took another sip.

"Then why didn't you? Why didn't you come to me?" Frank's own frustrations were clearly evident in his tone.

"What was I supposed to say? This mess started because of the suspension. You couldn't break the chain of command then. Why would I think otherwise now? And what would you have done anyway? Called him down to 1PP and told him to leave me alone or else?" Jamie laughed sarcastically. "Yeah, that would have gone over real well."

Frank slumped in his chair, feeling like he'd been slapped in the face. He thought he'd done right by his kids by teaching them to stand on their own two feet out there and figure their own way out of the messes they got themselves into. He would not bail them or anyone out trouble because of their relationship to his office. But those lines weren't always so black and white and maybe he gave out mixed signals. He probably had to make concessions that duty didn't always take precedence over family when the department was involved and he sometimes needed to put the ultra-ethical-PC hat away. Especially if it meant that his kids would know they could still come to him.

Jamie had been holding back on him that night he showed up late to Sunday dinner, probably afraid he thought he'd screwed up again so soon after the suspension. So instead of pushing Jamie to open up to him, he'd let him go off on his own while he'd called on someone else to sniff around the 12th. Once they'd discovered what was going on, he'd still chosen to let his people work their investigation even when his son was the one bearing the brunt of his lieutenant's bullying. He wanted Nash to go down for all he was doing. He didn't want to interfere in the investigation and ended up putting the department before his son.

"What do you mean by we?" Jamie asked.

Frank looked down at the glass he was nursing in his hands. "You wouldn't talk to me about what was going on. So I had Sam Croft start looking into some things for me. Started talking to people, getting the scuttlebutt around the precinct, and found some things that merited investigating. Then he caught wind that Chief Arborgast had been making inquiries of his own on Nash after your first run in with him." Frank paused, wondering how his chief had seen this whole situation for what it was while he just stuck his head in the sand. "Dino said from the beginning that the charges he brought against you had been because of an ego trip. I knew that too because I know you. Funny thing is, those were Dino's words when he brought it to me, 'I know Jamie.'"

Frank got up from his armchair and sat next to his son on the couch. "But I was afraid of how it would look if I let Dino fix it." Frank sighed and looked at his son. "Jamie, I don't know if this mess could have been avoided if I had done something then, but I am sorry for what he's been putting you through. And I'm sorry if I have made you think that the job comes before you. Any of you."

Jamie nodded. He swallowed several times before he trusted himself to speak. The stress of the last few months had taken a toll on him. "I don't blame you, dad, and I don't expect you to bail me out of any jam. I guess I just didn't want to put you in the middle. It was all so stupid in the beginning - the crappy tours and complaints about reports. He wanted to get a rise out of me and I thought if I ignored him he'd get bored and stop eventually. But now with Lana Jensen...it's Nash that made her do it but I can't prove it."

"You don't need to prove anything."

"Dad, IAB-"

"IAB is working with Sam and Dino. They're looking into a whole lot of wrong doing by Nash, some criminal, in fact, but none of which I will go into with you now. We've had some tails on him over the last few weeks and caught him meeting up with a woman. We didn't figure out who she was until she came forward to file a complaint against you. They'll be re-interviewing her and they will clear your name."

"So what do I do now, just sit around and wait?"

"I know it's not what you want to hear, but trust me, no one wants this over more than me. For now, just stay clear of the precinct and Nash. But I will need you to come down to 1PP tomorrow morning to talk to Sam and Lieutenant Harmon from IAB."

Jamie nodded. "Trust me, not looking for any more run-ins with him. Probably finish what he tried to start."

"What do you mean?" Frank frowned.

Jamie sighed and slumped against the back of the couch. "After we collared Lana, after that tour, he cornered me in the locker room. He'd heard about 1PP looking into the precinct. Blamed me for it." Jamie didn't want to alarm his dad. Nothing had happened, but only because they were interrupted.

"What did he do, Jamie?"

"Nothing, dad. Just some shoving and trash talk. But I got so pissed, I shoved him back. Came at me, ready to knock my head off but Renzulli walked in."

Frank's lips formed a tight line. This had gotten out of hand. "So that's what Tony was referring to."

"Tony?" Jamie was confused. "Sarge talked to you?"

"He was concerned. He was nervous as hell when he came to talk to me. Said you wouldn't open up to him about Nash. He felt like his hands were tied but he would have felt guilty if he didn't at least try to do something." Frank placed his arm around Jamie's shoulders and looked at him in earnest. "You've got people looking out for you. I just need you to know you can come to me with things like this. You can't continue to keep things to yourself because they involve the department."

"Yeah," Jamie nodded.

Frank gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "It's getting late. Do you want to spend the night?"

"Thanks, but no. I think I just wanna go home and crash in my own bed." Jamie smiled thinly before getting up and heading to the front door.

"I'll see you in the morning." Frank opened the door as Jamie slid on his jacket.

"Yeah. Goodnight, dad." He looked at his father one last time before walking out the door.

"Goodnight, son." Frank waited until Jamie got into his car and drove away before he closed the door. He closed his eyes and slumped back against the wall wondering why he'd allowed things to get this far.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

It was past ten o'clock by the time Jamie had made it home from his father's house. He pulled into a parking spot about half a block from his apartment building and shut off the engine. Jamie sat in his car, staring out the window at the quiet street feeling exhausted, but relieved that there might be an end to this whole mess. Before the talk with his father, everything felt like it was spiraling out of control. He had no knowledge of the other things Nash was mixed up in that could warrant an IA investigation, but truth be told, he didn't care. It was IA's problem. He just wanted his name cleared and for Nash to let him be so that he could do his job.

He realized that he shouldn't have allowed it to get this far. If he'd been honest with his dad from the beginning, even back on that Sunday night when his father had questioned him, he might have been spared from some of Nash's wrath. His father would ultimately have his back, despite any department involvement and he needed to remember that.

Jamie shook his head as he realized he'd gotten lost in thought. He grabbed his cellphone from the console and got out of the car, locking it with the key fob. Jamie stuffed it in his pocket and was making his way up the block to his building when a crushing pain exploded at the back of his head, bringing him to his knees. His phone fell from his hand as he tried breaking his fall, bouncing across the sidewalk and landing among the debris along the curb.

Jamie lay in a breathless heap, disoriented and unable to think past the intense pounding in his head and the feeling of something warm and sticky sliding down the back of his head. He was startled when he was abruptly picked up off the ground, his left arm thrown over someone's shoulders as an arm went around his back.

Jamie tried raising his head to see who it was, but his vision swam and he gasped at the pain the movement caused. No matter how many times he tried to clear his eyes, he couldn't focus on the world around him.

Through the buzzing in his ears, he heard a familiar, gruff voice.

"You really got to lay off the whiskey, buddy. Let's get you home."

Confused, Jamie tried to get his mouth to work, but all that came out was a slurred mess of words. His eyes began to close on their own as he felt himself lowered on to a cushioned surface. He fought to keep them open, but lost that battle once he was horizontal. The last sensation he had was of being roughly turned on to his side and his arms pulled behind his back.

«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»

Frank Regan stood in the conference room at 1PP with his cell phone to his ear and a look of concern on his face. Sam Croft, Detective Baker and Lieutenant Harmon sat at the table, various files spread out between them.

Frank looked down at the phone as yet another call to Jamie's cell went straight to voicemail and his home phone went unanswered. It was nine thirty and his son was late. Anyone that knew Jamie knew that was a cause for concern. Jamie was nothing, if not punctual. And for this meeting, he would have even expected him to arrive early.

Frank's stomach twisted. Something was wrong and he had a feeling it involved Bradley Nash. "Baker, let my detail know we're heading out."

"Right away, sir."

He turned to Croft and said, "No answer at home or on his cell. You're with me. I want to go over to his place and make sure he's okay."

As he walked out the door, he turned back to Harmon. "Get a location on Nash. I want to know if he reported for duty."

"Yes, sir."

Frank grabbed his coat and headed out of his office with Sam following close behind. When they got to the lobby, he looked at his phone again and hit a speed dial button, taking a deep breath as the line rang.

"Hey, Dad."

"Danny. Are you in the city?"

"Yeah, just got to the precinct, why?"

"I need you to meet me at Jamie's place."

"Now?"

"Yes, as soon as you can get there." Frank reached his vehicle, Tom waiting for him with an open door.

"What's wrong?"

Frank could hear a car door slamming and the ignition turning. "Your brother, he was supposed to meet with Sam and IA down at my office. He hasn't shown and I can't get a hold of him."

"I heard about the complaint from the collar. What's really going on, Dad?"

"I don't want to get into it over the phone, Danny. Let's find your brother first and then we'll talk." Frank disconnected the call as the car began to move, doing his best to stay calmcalm, but he felt it in his gut, something wasn't right.

«»«»«»««»«»«»«»«»

A short time later, Frank was pulling up just as Danny was walking out of Jamie's building.

As soon as the car came to a stop, Frank quickly exited and met Danny on the sidewalk with Sam coming around to meet them.

"Is he here?" Frank asked anxiously.

"No, I was just upstairs. Bed doesn't look like it's been slept in and nothing looks out of place, like he hasn't been home." Danny turned to point down the block. "His car's parked down the street. It's locked tight, nothing out of the ordinary that I could see." Danny placed his hands on his hips. "Now tell me what's going on."

Sam excused himself and turned to answer his phone.

"Jamie was supposed to come in to talk to IA about the charge and about an investigation on his lieutenant, Nash."

"His lieutenant? Why?"

Frank took a deep breath. "He's been harassing your brother for some time now, but he wouldn't talk to me about it so I had Sam look into it. Turns out Dino was looking into him too. Found out he's been doing a lot more than just harassing Jamie. And we think the assault claim by the prostitute is his doing."

"How long?" Danny asked.

"How long what?" Frank narrowed his eyes at the question.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Started after his suspension," Frank said.

Danny ran a hand across his face. "Jesus. Why am I just hearing about it now?"

"Jamie wouldn't talk about it, not to me and I tried. So I put Sam on it and it just snowballed from there."

"Boss?" Sam interrupted.

Frank and Danny turned to face him.

"Just talked to Harmon. Nash didn't report for duty, banged in sick."

Frank's heart sank. "We need to find him."

"Harmon also said that the Jensen woman hasn't shown for her interview either."

Frank pressed his lips into a tight line. "That's not a coincidence. Sam, get some units out here, I want the neighborhood canvassed. Based on the time Jamie left the house last night, he would have gotten here after ten."

"10-4." Sam turned to make the call.

"What's this guy into, dad?"

"He started out as a big bully by most accounts. As he got promoted, it appeared to get worse, mostly verbal from what we can tell because no one ever filed a complaint. Word got back to me about Jamie being reprimanded by Nash after the suspension for his reports, problems with his squad car, small things. I could tell something was wrong, but he wouldn't tell me. He didn't want to put me in the middle. When Sam did some digging, it just got worse. He found irregularities with evidence logs, ones Nash oversaw and signed off on. Stuff's gone missing ever since he got promoted to lieutenant - drugs, money. There appears to be some ticket fixing and we have evidence he's been running drugs. He also has something going on with the prostitute that Jamie collared." Frank sighed, feeling the guilt creep in. "Your brother said he caught wind of the investigation a few days ago, confronted him and blamed him for it."

"He's panicking. It must have set him off." Danny chewed on his lip.

Frank looked at his eldest. "I'm worried, Danny."

Danny could see it on his father's face which made him even more worried for his brother. "Then what are we waiting for? Find out where he lives. Let's go pound on his door." Danny pulled his car keys out of his pocket.

"Get the address from Sam." Frank pulled his own phone out of his pocket.

"Who are you calling?" Danny asked.

"Your sister. Appearances be damned, I'm going to have her put a rush on a warrant."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Jamie awoke to a throbbing headache and softwhimpering coming from somewhere behind him. He opened his eyes to find that he was laying on a rug, facing the dusty floor underneath a couch. He rolled over onto his back and regretted it instantly as his stomach flipped and the ache in his head went up a notch. It also didn't help matters that his arms were cuffed behind his back.

The nausea persisted, so he struggled onto his left side despite the pain it caused. Jamie closed his eyes and took deep, even breaths to settle his stomach.

After a few minutes, his eyes reopened and he looked across the room to find the source of the whimpering - Lana was cowering against the far wall, sitting on the floor with her legs drawn up and her head pillowed in her arms.

Jamie didn't understand why he was here with her or where here was.

"Lana," he rasped. But she didn't hear him, so he took a deep breath and put more effort into it. "Lana?"

The woman startled at the sound of his voice, her head shooting up to stare at him in shock. "Officer Reagan?" she whispered. Tears spilled from her eyes as she let out a sob. "I thought he killed you."

Jamie's eye narrowed at her words. "Who?"

"Brad."

Jamie's heart sank. He was in serious trouble and began to pull against the cuffs on his wrists. "Lana?" he groaned.

Her eyes were fixed on him but she did not react at all.

"Lana. Where is he?" Jamie grimaced as he struggled to a sitting position. He closed his eyes as the room spun.

"Lana, where is he?" He practically hissed at her, desperate to figure a way out.

Lana looked at him with glassy eyes. "I don't know."

"Is he coming back?"

Lana nodded as she began to cry softly again.

Jamie looked around the room, looking for something, anything to help him. He turned towards the couch and got to his knees eventually pushing himself up onto the cushions and into a sitting position. Jamie had broken out into a heavy sweat from the otherwise simple task.

Lana continued to cry. "I'm sorry."

Jamie stopped at her words.

Lana wiped her cheeks. "He made me do it. I didn't want to. You and your partner," she paused to take a gasping breath. "You were always so nice to me."

There would be time for apologies later, or at least he hoped there would be. Right now he needed her help and if she was really sorry, he might get that help. Jamie looked at his pockets and couldn't see or feel his cell in any of them. He couldn't even remember if he had it with him last night.

"Lana, it's okay. But right now, I just need your help."

She continued to cry.

"A phone, Lana. Do you have a phone?" he asked gently.

She remained frozen and Jamie didn't want to waste any time. He stood on shaky legs and moved to the front door, turning around to try the knob.

"It's no use."

"What?"

"He locks it from the outside," she whispered.

Jamie didn't know what to believe, but even if she was lying, he still wouldn't be able to undo the deadbolt without her help.

He walked around the room searching for a phone. When he found none, he moved to the window of the small living room and squinted at the early morning light. He'd been out for a long time, he thought.

They were five stories up, but there was a fire escape. Jamie turned his back to the low window and tried prying it open with his cuffed hands, but it barely budged. He turned to see that the latch at the top was unlocked and crouched back around for another try.

Teeth clenched, Jamie growled as his finger tips clung to the small lip along the bottom of the window frame. His efforts were rewarded as he felt it finally move, just enough to slip his fingers under the frame and get a better grasp. He allowed himself a few breaths before pulling it up one last time, as open as he could get it when he finally stood up straight. It was only open enough to get his head and torso through, but maybe he could slip through and shimmy it open the rest of the way.

His head was pulsating, but he didn't let that stop him from turning around to huddle and squeeze through the opening, a strange balancing act with his hands cuffed behind his back. No sooner had he done that when he was suddenly pulled back by a tremendous force, his head striking the bottom of the window frame. He was hurtled across the room and crashed to the floor near the small dinette, landing awkwardly on his left shoulder. Jamie felt it pop followed by pain so excruciating that he barely took notice when he was hauled backwards and dumped unceremoniously right where he had awoken a short time ago.

Jamie had his eyes clenched shut, groaning as he gasped through the pain.

Nash stormed over to the window, slamming it closed and locking it. He then walked over to Jamie and hovered.

"Son of bitch. You've screwed things up enough, you little bastard." Nash squated down and grabbed his jaw, slamming his head against the floor. "What did you tell your father, huh?"

Jamie couldn't respond.

Nash kept a death grip on his face and shook his head violently.

"What did you tell him?!"

"Noth...nothing," he wheezed. Jamie stopped to suck in a breath. "Didn't say anything.".

"Yeah, is that why you were at his house last night and now I got cops all over my apartment?"

Despite his distress, Jamie was sick and tired of Bradley Nash. "Your own fault," he spat back.

Nash's face became enraged. He let go and stood up, turning away for a moment before snapping back around and landing a kick to Jamie's stomach so hard it had him retching almost immediately.

Lana screamed and thrust herself further away. She rolled herself into a tight ball, sobbing to herself.

Jamie heaved until he had nothing left and was left gasping for breath again. He could do nothing to stop the tears that streamed down his face and just let himself fall unconscious as Nash paced the room like a caged animal.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Frank stood and stared out of his office window as he did anytime something was weighing heavily on his mind. Jamie had been missing for over fifteen hours and they had no leads on where to find him yet. There was a flurry of activity behind his conference room door as he had the investigation into Jamie's disappearance and the search for Nash headquartered there. Desperate to locate his son safe and sound, he wanted to be close to the investigation.

Guilt was creeping back in as his mind wrestled with all of the would of's, could of's and should of's – either by him or Jamie. He knew there was no point in wallowing in it, but until he knew Jamie was safe, he was unable to stop himself from doing so.

The door to his office opened up and Erin marched in with Danny close behind.

"What are you doing here?" Franked walked over to his daughter.

"Are you kidding me? I can't sit around my office knowing Jamie's missing." Erin had been unable to focus on anything but her brother since she'd rushed the warrant on hash's apartment. She kissed her father's cheek and stepped over to one of the guest chairs to deposit her bag. "Do we know anything yet?"

"Nothing." Frank studied the floor as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

Danny leaned back against the large, black leather armchair. "We had units canvass the neighborhood. They found Jamie's phone in the gutter and we got surveillance video from a neighboring building - just shows Jamie walking towards his own place at 10:15 last night, then nothing, never appeared in the security cameras of his own place."

"We did find someone from the neighborhood that saw Nash and Jamie together at about that time," Frank advised.

"Together? He's sure it was them?" Erin crossed her arms in front of her.

"ID'ed them from their department photos." Danny nodded. "Said it was dark, but it was definitely them. Took a good look at them when they got close cause of the way Nash was walking with Jamie. He was stumbling and Nash was practically holding him up, he said. As they passed, Nash said something to Jamie about laying off the whiskey. Guy said Jamie was slurring his words so he just thought it was one guy helping a buddy out."

"Jamie wouldn't have been drunk or gone willingly," Frank surmised.

Erin's forehead creased in concern. "And he didn't see where they went?"

"Didn't bother to look back after they passed," Danny shrugged.

"How dangerous is this guy?" Erin looked between her father and brother.

"We don't know. But his whole world is imploding. I don't want to wait around to find out," Frank said grimly.

"What about Lana Jensen?" Erin asked.

"Still can't locate her. Sent a couple detectives to her last known address. Moved out of the place five months ago and she's not exactly the type to leave a forwarding address, ya know?" Danny stood from where he was perched and placed his hands on his hips

"Did you find anything at Nash's place?"

Frank shook his head. "Nothing. Place was spotless. But TARU's going through his computer now and the team's going through some personal records, see if there's anything there to help us find him."

"He's got to have another place he's operating out of," Erin said just as Sam was walking in.

"He does." Sam held a few sheets of paper in the air as he approached the group.

"What do we got?" Frank asked.

"We were going through Nash's bank records. Last five months he's been paying the same amount to a management company. Gave them a call and it turns out to be for a small, one bedroom apartment in Hell's Kitchen."

"Can't be a coincidence that Jensen moved five months ago," Danny pointed out.

"You know how I feel about coincidences." Frank turned to Sam. "Do we have an address?"

"Got it right here," Sam replied.

"Get a team ready to go," Frank ordered. "My gut tells me they're there."

"You got it."

Sam and Danny left quickly to get everyone mobilized.

Frank strode over to his coat.

Erin followed and reached for his arm. "Wait. Dad, you're going?"

"You're brother's there, Erin." Frank said with certainty and left the office.

/

Jamie awoke like he had before, on the floor of the small living room. He wasn't sure how long he'd been out this time, but the mid-afternoon sun shined brightly against the ragged living room curtain. He's stayed perfectly still since waking, not wanting to draw any attention to himself as Nash purposefully moved around the apartment and his shoulder and head were now down to a dull throb so long as he didn't move.

Nash had eventually come into his line of sight when he darted to the front door carrying large duffle bags in each hand, but didn't so much as glance in his direction, locking the door behind him as he left. Jamie closed his eyes. He needed to talk some sense into Lana. She was deathly afraid of Nash, that much was clear and he needed to convince her to get help.

Jamie lifted his head from the floor looking around for the young woman, but she wasn't in the living room any more. "Lana?"

Jamie got no response and carefully got himself into a sitting position, grimacing when the movement caused the pain in his shoulder to fare up. Jamie pivoted to the left to search past the edge of the couch. That was when he saw her – Lana was lying on the floor near the entrance to the small galley kitchen, her lifeless eyes starting back at him.

Jamie was numb. He knew Nash was dirty, but he didn't expect this. He never thought he'd kill her or anyone. But now…

Jamie turned as the door was unlocked and Nash walked in a second later.

"Hey, look who's up." Nash grinned at him.

Jamie stared back, shock written all over his face.

"Guess you saw Lana, huh?" Nash smirked and walked to the kitchen, stepping over Lana like she was minor obstacle in his way. He stopped and busied himself with something on the kitchen counter, his back to Jamie. "She was useless, but it was fun while it lasted. I can't afford to have her slow me down."

"What are you going to do with me?" Jamie asked, panic creeping into his voice.

"You?" Nash turned his head to look over his shoulder at his pawn. "I got to keep you around, at least until I get out of the city. After that, who knows? Haven't decided." Nash focused back on the counter and soon made his way to the living room.

That was when Jamie saw it, the syringe in Nash's hand. Jamie began to scramble backwards as his breathing grew heavy. "What is that?"

"Just a little oxy. You look a little uncomfortable, Reagan. Just want to make sure you're not in pain when we head out. Plus, can't have you making too much of a raucous."

Jamie could only go so far and Nash reached him quickly, grabbing him by the front of the shirt and throwing him on to his stomach. Jamie groaned as his arm was jostled. Nash released the handcuffs and flipped him back around with ease.

"Come on, Reagan. This is gonna make you feel real good. Don't tell me you never tried it?" Nash straddled Jamie and placed the barrel of the syringe between his teeth while he pushed the sleeve of Jamie's jacket up and pinned his right arm down.

"Wait. Don't do this!" Panicked, Jamie bucked under Nash, his left arm completely useless to him.

Nash took the syringe from his mouth and did not hesitate to slide the needle into Jamie's arm.

Jamie groaned as he pressed down on the plunger and a feeling of warmth traveled up his arm. It didn't take long for his struggles to stop. His body began to relax and melt into the floor. His heart which had been ready to jump out of his chest a moment ago began to slow and a slow heat began to build in his chest. He floated as the world around him became distorted.

Jamie closed his eyes and when he opened them up again, Nash was peering down at him with a smug look on his face. He pulled him up to a sitting position and yanked the hood of his jacket over his head. Nash picked him up with minimal effort, pulling his right arm across his shoulders like he had the night before.

"Let's get this show on the road, Reagan."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Nash all but carried a stumbling Jamie down the stairs.

"How'd a big, burly guy like your father have such a pip-squeak for a son, huh?" Nash snorted.

Jamie turned his head. Nash's arrogant face swam around the edge of his hoodie. His words weren't registering completely, but his taunting tone was coming through loud and clear.

They hit a landing and turned to the next set of stairs.

"Is that why you became a cop? To be like him?" Nash yanked on his good arm and pulled him up higher against his side. Jamie's feet were barely touching the ground.

"Shouldn't have wasted your time, Reagan. Should of kept your snotty little ass at some law firm."

Jamie was trying to ignore him. He couldn't catch his breath and his chest felt like it was on fire. Their walk down the stairs was making him dizzy and the ache was starting up again in his stomach. His shoulder was the only thing that wasn't bothering him.

Once they'd reached the ground level, they headed for the rear of the building to the alley where Nash had a car waiting for them. They were a few steps out the door when a shout came from one side of the alley.

"Bradley Nash, let him go and put your hands up!"

Danny Reagan stood at the end of the alley, partially hidden behind a squad car. His gun was drawn with a direct view of Nash and his brother.

As soon as they'd gotten a location on Nash's suspected hideout, they'd had detectives from the nearest precinct outside the building looking for any sign of them. It hadn't taken them long to spot Nash exiting the back entrance a few times to load bags into an SUV parked in the alley. Frank, Danny and their team were already in route when the detectives reported back and they'd surrounded the building and blocked both ends of the alley, waiting for him to reemerge.

The door shut behind them before Nash could make a run back in. He quickly pulled Jamie in front of him, holding him tightly against his chest with one arm. He drew his weapon with the other and held it against the young officer's head as he glanced up and down the alley. He had no way out, a countless number of officers, detectives and SWAT had taken cover behind police vehicles, all with their weapons drawn.

Nash stepped back against the wall, an angry and defiant expression crossing his face. "You shoot, I shoot! I'm going to get in the car and I'm going to drive out of here!"

"Can't let you do that, Nash! You know that better than anyone!" Danny yelled as he observed his brother.

Nash had Jamie's head jammed into the crook of his elbow with his forearm across his torso clutching him to his chest. Danny could see bruising across Jamie's stomach where his shirt had ridden up and Danny's own stomach twisted at the sight. Jamie's eyes were at half mast and he blinked slowly. He could tell that his brother wasn't all there. His right hand tried pulling on Nash's thick arm, but he was lacking any coordination to hold on, while the other hung loosely at his side. Jamie's legs were barely able to hold his weight.

"All I know is that the PC's gonna lose another son if you don't. So you will let me go!" Nash spat back.

"Neither of those things will happen, Lieutenant. I can promise you that. You will drop your weapon and let Officer Reagan go," a deep voice boomed.

Nash's eyes widened at the unexpected voice. His head turned to the other side of the alley to see the Commissioner poised behind another squad car. His detail stood on either side of him, their own weapons drawn at him. He never would have expected to see the PC here.

"I think it's best if you listen to the detective," Frank advised.

Nash looked frantically from one side to the other.

Jamie still couldn't focus on his surroundings, but he'd recognized the voices of his brother and father. He closed his eyes in relief. They were going to get him out. There was a code, he thought. He needed to listen for the code but he couldn't think. Nash was clutching him to his chest and he couldn't get him to let go. His thoughts were jumbled and he struggled to pull at Nash's meaty arm, but it just made him tighten his grip.

Danny could see what his brother was doing. He was trying to free himself from Nash's clutches, but the lieutenant wasn't letting go. He looked to his father.

"Lieutenant, we let you go, what are you going to do next? How far are you willing to go? Do you really think the NYPD is going to stop looking for you?" Frank's jaw clenched as he fought to hide the fear he was feeling at seeing his son in this situation.

"You will if you don't want me to shoot him."

"You do that and we'll come after you a hundred times harder." Frank glared at Nash. "I will come after you a hundred times harder." He paused. "You're already facing multiple charges. I'm sure you don't want to add murder."

Nash laughed humorlessly.

"Or maybe you already have," Frank said grimly.

"What's one more, right, Commissioner?"

Jamie continued to struggle weakly.

"Let's end this now, Lieutenant Nash." Frank's tone left no room for negotiation.

Nash looked nervously around the alley. He couldn't count how many guns he had pointed at him. He looked up briefly to find one of their sharpshooters positioned on the roof of the building across the alley. He turned back to the Commissioner and knew there was no way he was getting out. If looks could kill, he'd be a dead man already. He took a deep breath and did the only thing he could do - he dropped his gun at the same time he let go of Jamie, both tumbling to the ground.

Several officers moved in at the same time, all led by Danny.

"Hands up, on the ground! Now!"

Nash moved to the ground as Danny approached, kicking his gun away. Baez and Croft surrounded and cuffed Nash as Danny went to his brother's side.

Danny kneeled next to Jamie who lay face down on the grimy alleyway. "Hey, kid, you okay? Talk to me." He rolled his brother on to his back as his father came around the other side. "I need medics!"

"Jamie? Son?" Frank pushed the hoodie off his head. Jamie was unresponsive, a bruise forming along his cheekbone from his fall to the ground.

"Coming through!"

Officers were milling all about. Nash had been dragged away from the Reagan men. Harmon had a group of officers gathered around Nash's getaway car while others cleared a path for the medics pulling a stretcher and two large bags of equipment.

"Detective, I'm Robert and that's my partner, Jason," the first medic said. "Please, give us some room."

Danny moved to Jamie's head as the second medic approached, setting up next to his father.

"Officer Reagan, can you hear me?" Robert called out.

"It's Jamie," Frank whispered.

Robert looked up at Frank for a second before opening Jamie's eyes and shining a light at them. "Pupils are constricted, breathing's labored. Is he on something that we know of?" Robert pulled out his stethoscope and ran it along Jamie's chest. "Heartbeat's irregular. Jason, let's get him on a monitor. I'm gonna start oxygen."

Jason was inserting an IV into Jamie's right hand. "Got it."

After he'd gotten a mask on his face, Robert running his hands along Jamie's head checking for injuries when he caught sight of dried blood on the back of his neck. He turned his head gently to examine him. "We've got an old wound to the back of the head. He could be concussed."

Jason cut away his shirt and hoodie, up the middle and down each arm.

"Jesus," Danny hissed.

"Shoulder's dislocated, we need to stabilize that arm for transport." Jason felt his way up each arm. "Robert, I got a needle mark here. He may have been given something," Jason advised.

Robert palpitated Jamie's abdomen. "That's what I thought."

Frank breathed deeply through his nose as he caressed the top of his son's head. "You find out what he gave him."

It wasn't a question. Danny looked into his father's eyes, seeing rage within them. He clenched his jaw and nodded. He looked down at his brother, squeezing his good shoulder before getting up and walking away.

The medics worked quickly get Jamie ready for transport, concerned over the possible concussion combined with the unknown drugs coursing through his veins.

Frank followed closely behind as they pushed the stretcher carrying his youngest. Jamie wasn't going anywhere without him.


	14. Chapter 14

Last Chapter! Thank you to all who reviewed, great to get see your comments everyday! Thanks again to CookiesN'Cream124 for her help on this story before posting.

I have 2 Jamie/Eddie stories in queue and ready for posting, I think. I only became a real fan of the pairing recently and had 2 ideas pop up to continue the "One of our Own" story line. Will post those soon and I hope everyone will enjoy. Otherwise, my muse has gone quiet for now but I am hoping for some inspiration - I enjoy writing these characters very much.

Chapter 14

Frank sat alone, hunched forward in the guest chair next to his son's hospital bed. He stared at Jamie's still form waiting for any sign of consciousness. The doctors had tried convincing him and the rest of the family to go home, rest and return in the morning, but they wouldn't have it and they'd taken up residence in the waiting room. Jamie was stable, but had still been admitted to the critical care unit until he woke up and passed all cognitive tests and until the oxycodone was out of his system, they would watch for cardiac or respiratory complications.

Patients were allowed one visitor at a time and aside from allowing the rest of the family a chance to visit and see Jamie for themselves, he had refused to leave his son's side. It was the middle of the night and sleep would not come to him. The last thirty-six hours replayed in his head over and over again. There was plenty of blame and guilt to go, but Frank wouldn't be at peace until Jamie woke up and he knew his boy was okay.

Frank continued to observe Jamie, from his bandaged head and bruised cheek, to the gentle rise and fall of his left arm which was immobilized across his chest. He was still sporting a nasal cannula, but the heart monitor confirmed that his heart was back to a normal sinus rhythm. He thanked God that they'd gotten to him before Nash had subjected Jamie to the same fate as the Jensen woman. Danny had arrived at the hospital after Jamie had been taken back to the trauma area with the name of the drug he'd been injected him with. Frank didn't want to know the lengths Danny had gone to get the information so quickly and he didn't care, so long as it helped the doctors better assess and treat Jamie. But he'd also brought news of the discovery of Jensen's body in the apartment upstairs. The investigation was ongoing, but Frank knew they may never know the extent and willingness of her involvement in Nash's activities.

Frank was pulled back to the present when Jamie rolled his head on the pillow and released a soft sigh.

Frank stood and took hold of his arm as Jamie reached for the cannula under his nose. "Hey," he greeted softly.

Jamie opened his eyes to see his father hovering over him. "Dad," he whispered.

Frank smiled. "How are you feeling, son?" He placed Jamie's arm back onto the bed and slid his hand down into his son's.

His eyes slipped shut and opened again a moment later as he answered. "Kinda numb."

"To be expected, all things considered." Frank paused, allowing Jamie a minute to gain his bearings. "How much do you remember?"

Jamie closed his eyes again and considered the question.

Frank thought he had drifted off until he finally answered.

"All of it. Until he shot me up, then it gets fuzzy." Jamie looked at his father. "Remember hearing you and Danny. Everything was confusing."

Frank was relieved that Jamie appeared cognizant. "He gave you a pretty high dose of oxycodone. Lucky he didn't do worse."

"Lana."

"Yeah. We found her after."

Jamie shook his head slightly. "She was terrified of him first time I saw her. Second time, she was dead." Jamie rubbed his hand over his eyes. "Never expected him to take it this far."

Frank released a resigned sigh. "No one did. But he had a lot to lose."

Jamie's forehead creased.

Frank braced himself against the bed rails. "The investigation. I told you it went a lot farther than you - ticket fixing, stealing evidence, drug trafficking."

"Jesus." Jamie was surprised at that, but that Nash still targeted him with all of that going on made it all the more bewildering. "Sounds like he was busy. Why'd he focus on me? Probably still be doing all of that if he'd left me alone."

"Maybe, maybe not. But it's hard for a leopard to change its spots. And he probably thought he could get away it since there was no interference with your suspension from my office." Right or wrong, that would be the part that would always bother Frank.

Jamie supposed there may be some truth to that statement and saw his father tense at his own assumption, but he hated the look of regret in his father's eyes. He should join the club - Jamie had regrets of his own.

"How'd I get here?"

"He gave up. Smartest thing he's ever done. We had you surrounded in the alley. There was no way out."

Jamie nodded. "So what's the verdict? When can I get out of here?"

"Well, we'll have to talk to the doctor, who I should go get. You have a concussion and dislocated your shoulder, but they did the reduction in the ER. Should be okay. They wanted to check you out when you woke up, but you shouldn't be here more than twenty-four to forty-eight hours if everything looks good."

"Not so bad, I guess." Jamie bit his lip and stared at the ceiling, a slew of different emotions flashing across his face.

And Frank didn't miss them. "What's on your mind, son?"

"I'm sorry." Jamie looked at his father.

"For what, Jamie?" Frank's brow furrowed in confusion.

"For not having faith that you'd have my back. I should have come to you from the start." Jamie looked down to his injured arm. "At first, I was afraid that you'd think I was screwing up because of the suspension. Then it got so out of hand but I didn't want to put anyone in the middle and hoped it would go away."

Frank frowned, saddened that Jamie felt he needed to deal with this on his own.

"Nothing good ever comes from keeping things from you." Jamie huffed out a humorless laugh.

Frank gave him a sad smile. "Maybe not. But I should apologize too."

Jamie tilted his head back at him.

Frank stood to his full height and pursed his lips as he considered how to best explain himself. "I know I don't always make it clear what comes first. I have trouble balancing both sometimes, but I want you to know, like I told you the other day, and without a doubt, that you can come to me with anything, work related or otherwise. I will always be your father first and your commissioner second."

Jamie pressed his lips together and nodded.

Frank cleared his throat. "Well, then. Let me get the doctor in here. Sooner he checks you out, the sooner we can get you home."

Frank was halfway to the door when he heard Jamie.

"Thanks, dad."

Frank turned and gave him a smile. "Anytime, son."

Fin.


End file.
